A New Start
by Rita1974
Summary: Carolien de Zwart is a Dutch detective who is going to work at the New York Crime Lab, after Mac asks her to. What is going to happen is something I don't really know yet. But you will find out if you keep on reading the story. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**Carolien de Zwart is a detective who looses her grandmother after a robbery. She solves the case and Mac Taylor asks her to work at the New York Crime Lab. What is going to happen next is something I don't really know yet. But you will find out if you keep on reading my story.**

**Chapter One.**

**The woman took place on the stand and she took the oath. She sighed deeply when she sat down and she placed her hands over each other on the table. Carlien de Zwart looked around the courtroom and her eyes rested on the suspect. She thought back to the eventful period which could almost be closed, her parents died in a car accident when she was only two years old. Her grandmother had given her a loving home and raised her. Carolien always wanted to go to law school and her grandmother was very proud when she graduated top of her class. But everything she had leanred was not enough to save her grandmother. Three years ago a man gained access to her grandmother's house and he beat, raped and gagged her. Her grandmother died a few months after the robbery. Carolien had throw herself on the case and that eventually resulted in the arrest of a suspect and now she saw opposite of him and she was ready for her testimony. **

"**Detective de Zwart," Carolien startled and she looked at the prosecutor Ben Bruin.**

"**Sorry," Carolien apologized herself.**

"**Are you able to answer a few questions?" asked Ben friendly and Carolien nodded.**

"**I'm ready," Carolien replied.**

"**Can you tell me what happened on the night of March 20, 2011?" asked Ben and Carolien swallowed.**

"**I was at work, my grandmother was home," Carolien started.**

"**What time did you get home?" Ben asked.**

"**I came home around eleven o'clock and I noticed the door was open. I entered the house and called my grandmother but she didn't answer. I looked for her downstairs but she wasn't there. Then I ran upstairs and…" Carolien's voice faltered for a moment and she clenched her fists.**

"**If you want to take a break," said Ben.**

"**No I'm fine. My grandmother was lying on her bed, her nightgown was ripped and her face was bruised and blue. Her hands were tied together with tape and there was also tape over her mouth. My grandmother was not awake so I immediately called 112," said Carolien and she wiped the tears from her eyes with the palm of her hand.**

"**My grandmother had a severe concussion and she slipped into a coma. She died two months after the robbery," said Carolien.**

"**Sorry for your loss," said Ben.**

"**Thank you," said Carolien.**

"**You have helped with the infestication?" asked Ben.**

"**Yes, that's right. There was a condom found and fingerprints on the tape and the bed. These were examined and were consistent with the DNA and fingerprints of the suspect," said Carolien and she looked straight at the suspect.**

"**You are sure that it was the accused?" asked Ben and Carolien nodded.**

"**You can read my notepad, I always write everthing down in every little detail," said Carolien.**

"**We want to sobmit exhibit A, the notabook of Mrs. de Zwart, everything is written down here that has led to the arrest of the suspect," said Ben.**

"**It's noted," The judge said.**

"**I have no further questions," Ben said.**

"**Does the defense have any questions for this witness?" The judge asked.**

**The offense lawyer stood up and walked towards Carolien.**

"**First of all my sincere condolences, detective de Zwart," said the lawyer.**

"**Thank you," said Carolien.**

"**There are witnesses who claim my client was with them at the time your grandmother was assaulted," began the lawyer.**

"**We have also questioned those witnesses and came to the conclusion that their statement were false," said Carolien.**

"**You wanted to," began the lawyer, but Carolien interrupted him brusquely.**

"**We have seen the surveillance images and the defendant was not with his friends, there are no images of him" said Carolien.**

"**Maybe he was in the toilet," said the lawyer.**

"**Well then is must have been a very long visit to the toilet," said Carolien scoffed and the lawyer looked at her.**

"**Can the last remark been expunged?" asked the lawyer.**

"**I see no reason, the witness was answering your question," said the judge.**

"**I have no further questions," said the lawyer.**

"**You may stand down, detective de Zwart," said the judge and Carolien stood up. She walked passed the suspect and went outside where she leaned against the wall and she took a couple of deep breaths.**

"**That was a good statement," Carolien turned around and a man walked towards her and she thought he was very sympathetic.**

"**Let's hope it is enough to put him behind bars, I really want to close this chapter," said Carolien.**

"**My name is detective Mac Taylor," said Mac and Carolien glanced at him in surprise.**

"**You are the head of the New York Crime Lab, what brings you to the Netherlands?" asked Carolien.**

"**You," was Mac's simple answer.**

"**Me?" repeated Carolien and Mac chuckled.**

"**You wrote me a letter a few months ago," Mac started.**

"**That's right, I love my job here but I am reminded of the past every day. I would love to get the oppertunity to work in New York for a few years, to meet new people and gain new experiences," said Carolien.**

"**I had to fire two investigators a couple of months ago. They had tampered with evidence to hide the fact that they left a colleaque alone at a crime scene. The suspect came back and killed her," Mac said with clenched fists.**

"**That's terrible, I'm sorry for your loss, detective Taylor," said Carolien.**

"**I came here to offer you a job, Carolien. I have talked to several colleagues and they all told me the same thing, that you are one of the most honest people they have ever worked with. I think you're a great asset in our team," said Mac and Carolien looked at him astonished and then she flew him around his neck.**

"**Oh, sorry, sorry. But I'm so glad you want to give me this oppertunity," stuttered Carolien and Mac laughed.**

"**Never mind," said Mac.**

"**When do you want me to start?" asked Carolien.**

"**The sooner the better, Carolien," said Mac.**

"**I want to hear the verdict from the judge, detective Taylor," said Carolien and Mac nodded.**

"**Of course, I completely understand, Carolien. And its you and Mac," said Mac.**

"**Oh, here you are, Carolien," Ben came running her way.**

"**Ben, let me introduce you to Mac Taylor. Mac offered me a job at the New York Crime Lab, isn't that cool," Carolien said enthusiastically.**

"**That's great, Carolien. All the witnesses have been heard and we both gave our appeals. The judge will give his verdict at 15.00 tomorrow," said Ben.**

"**That's quick," said Mac.**

"**The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming, Mac," said Ben.**

"**Caroliens testimony must have helped the case a lot," said Mac and Ben nodded.**

"**Let's hope that they will agree on our call for twenty years in prison with TBS is granted," said Ben.**

"**Ben, is your sister still looking for a place to live?" asked Carolien and Ben glanced at her.**

"**Yes, but so far she hasn't been succesfull. And she is sick and tired of the long trip she has to make with the train each day," said Ben.**

"**Is she neat?" asked Carolien.**

"**Yes, she is. Why?" asked Ben.**

"**Maybe I can help her out, Ben. Why don't we go to the housing association together. Maybe Laura can live in my apartment when I go to New York. If the rent is too expensive for her, I will help out," said Carolien.**

"**That would be fantastic, Carolien, do you mind if I call her?" asked Ben.**

**Ben called his younger sister and he hung up the phone pretty quick.**

"**Laura is really happy and she gladly accepts your offer," said Ben.**

"**Let's make an appointment for the day after tomorrow, tell Laura to bring a bankstatement and a couple of paychecks, so we can look at her financial situation. Then I know if I need to help out or not," said Carolien.**

"**All right, I tell her. Will you call the housing association?" asked Ben and Carolien nodded.**

"**I'll see you tomorrow at the verdict, Carolien," said Ben and they parted.**

"**Mac, there is a restaurant nearby, maybe you want to have dinner with me?" asked Carolien and Mac nodded.**

"**I'd love to, Carolien," Mac said.**

**They walked side by side and Mac glanced at the young woman next to him.**

"**Are you okay?" asked Mac.**

"**It has been a impetuous time, I'm tired," said Carolien.**

"**It will all be over tomorrow," said Mac.**

"**Did you know the cop well, who was shot?" asked Carolien suddenly.**

"**Her name was Simone Brown and I knew her well, she was a good officer," said Mac.**

"**If her colleaugues had been honest right from the start, would you still have fired them?" asked Carolien.**

"**Probably but I would have understood the situation better. I found out that had a relationship for a while and they ran away from the scene to mess around with each other. When they came back, Simone had been killed. They removed the bullet from her body and picked up the bullet shells to cover their tracks," Mac said softly.**

"**What they did was unforgivable, you were right, Mac," said Carolien.**

**They had arrived at the restaurant and walked inside. There was a free table so they sat down.**

"**You won't have that problem with me, Mac, I never fall in love," said Carolien firmly.**

"**So you and Ben," began Mac and Carolien looked at him.**

"**Ben has a crush on him, but I don't feel the same way," said Carolien but Mac heard the doubt in her voice.**

"**What are you afraid of?" asked Mac softly.**

"**Everyone I love dies," replied Carolien softly.**

"**I lost my wify on 9/11 and I cloesed my heart for a long time until I met Christine Whitney and because of Christine I have fallen in love again. I asked her to marry me and we are going to get married in six months," said Mac.**

"**Did they ever.." started Carolien and Mac shook his head.**

"**No, they never found Claire's body. I was shot in my back during a robbery two years ago and I was seriously injured. Clarire appeared to me when I was in a coma and I was finally able to say all the thing I wanted to say to her. And Claire told me to be happy and I am with Christine but Claire will always hold a special place in my heart," said Mac.**

"**My parents and grandmother have a special place in my heart. I guess I am just afraid to be really happy," said Carolien.**

**Carolien and Mac talked for several hours, after which they paid the bill and walked back to court. Mac stopped at his car and turned to Carolien.**

"**Can I offer you a ride?" asked Mac.**

"**That would be great. It's not very far, I'll show you," said Carolien.**

**Mac drove to her apartment and Carolien got out.**

"**Thanks for the ride and the good conversation, Mac," said Carolien.**

"**You're welcome, Carolien. Sleep well," Mac said.**

**Carolien stepped out, waved at Mac and walked in the building and went to her appartment. She went inside and closed the door, than she walked to her bedroom undressed and went to bed. **

**The next morning Carolien called the housing association and explained the situation.**

"**We want to have a conversation with you both, but in principle it is possible, Mrs. de Zwart," said the employee.**

"**Can I make an appointment for tomorrow?" asked Carolien.**

"**I'll check the schedule, yes you can come at 11.00 or 13.00," said the woman.**

"**Eleven o'clock suits us better," said Carolien.**

"**Fine, I made a note, you can register at the desk, you have an appointment with Ms. Pieters," the woman said.**

"**Thank you," Carolien said.**

**Carolien called Laura and told her they had an appointment the next day at 11 o'clock and Laura happily said she would be there. Carolien was nervous the rest of the morning, she tried to eat but could not get anything down her throat. She arrived at the court a half hour too early and she had to wait. She rubbed her hands nervously and she almost had an attack of hyperventilation of sheer nerves. Suddenly someone put a hand on hers and squeezed it gently. Carolien looked up and she saw Mac standing next to her and she smiled.**

"**Take a couple of deep breaths, Carolien, it's going to be okay," Mac said.**

"**Thanks for being here, Mac," Carolien said and she had a lump in her throat.**

**Mac nodded and they waited in silence until they were allowed to enter the courtroom. They went in and sat down in the back of the room. The judge came in and everyone stood up.**

**The judge said a few words and everyone sat down again.**

"**This is the verdict in the case of Ms. Cathy de Zwart, will the defendant rise? The court considers it prover that you have beaten, raped and gagged Mrs. de Zwart on March 20, 2011 and that the attack resulted in the dead of Mrs. Cathy de Zwart. I think the chance the defendant will do something like this again is big. Therefor I sentence you to 20 years in prison with TBS. The case is closed, you can take the accused into custody," the judge said.**

**Carolien flew Mac around his neck and she cried tears of joy and Mac held her close.**

"**It's over, Carolien," said Mac.**

"**Yes, finally, Mac," said Carolien.**

**Two weeks later Carolien stood with Ben and Laura at the airport.**

"**Ben, I'm sorry," Carolien began but Ben interrupted her.**

"**Sh, you do not have to explain anything, Carolien," Ben said softly.**

"**Are you still my friend?" Carolien asked.**

"**Always. Give it your all in New York, and if you bump into someone you really like, go for it, Carolien," Ben said.**

"**If you promise you do the same," Carolien said and Ben promised.**

"**Thank you for letting me stay in your appartment, I will keep it neat and organised," Laura said.**

**They kissed goodbye and then Carolien got on a plane and she flew to New York.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

**Carolien got off the plane and went to the hall where she picked up her bags. After that she had to go through customs and within half an hour she had checked out. There were many people waiting and Carolien glanced around if she saw Mac. Suddenly from the crowd a woman with black hair and a jovial smile came running her way.**

"**Hi, are you Carolien? Welcome in New York, I'm Jo Danville," Jo said and Carolien shook her hand.**

"**Carolien de Zwart, you also work at the lab?" asked Carolien.**

"**That's right, Mac was unable to make it. Christine and Mac are checking several locations for their wedding reception. Mac asked me to pick you up, so here I am," Jo said.**

"**Do you have to go back right away, or do you have time to drink a cup of coffee. I long for a delicious cappuccino," Carolien said.**

"**That's great idea, follow me," said Jo and Carolien followed her to a small bistro and they went inside.**

"**Do you want something to eat?" asked Jo.**

"**Please, a sandwich of ham and cheese," said Carolien. Jo went to order the food and drinks while Carolien sat down.**

"**Here you go, a sandwich and cappuccino. Never mind, Carolien, this one is on me," said Jo when Carolien wanted to get her wallet.**

"**Thank you, Jo. Have you and Mac been working together for a long time?" asked Carolien.**

"**Four years, I used to work for the FBI but I left the FBI," said Jo.**

"**And you like working at the lab?" asked Carolien.**

"**Oh yes, we have a good team of people and we all take care of each other. Mac is the pivot of the team, he is the glue that holds us all together," Jo said.**

"**I'm really looking forward working with you," said Carolien.**

"**Oh before I forget, here is the key to your apartment, we drive there as soon as we're finished. And an invitation to dinner tonight, we all go to Christine. She runs a restaurant, the whole team will be therem so you can meet everyone," said Jo.**

"**Mac already arranged an accomodation for me? That's fast," said Carolien.**

"**Thanks to Lindsay and Danny Messer, they also work in the lab. The apartment next to them was empthy so along with Mac they asked if you can rent it as long as you're here and they got permission," said Jo.**

"**That's nice of them," said Carolien.**

**After they finished eatingm they got up and walked outside. Carolien followed Jo to her car and they drove from the airport to Midtown and they stopped in front of an apartment building.**

"**Here we are, Carolien," said Jo and they stepped out and got the bags from the trunk. They walked in and took the elevator to the 3rd floor and they stood still in front of apartment 3b and Jo ranf the door bell. **

"**Hi, Jo," said the woman who opened the door.**

"**Hi Lindsay," said Jo.**

"**Hi, I'm your new neighbor, my name is Carolien de Zwart," said Carolien.**

"**Nice to meet you, Carolien. Do you want a ride to the restaurant tonight?" asked Lindsay.**

"**Thanks, I am not very familiar here," Carolien said with a grin.**

"**Welcome to New York and to our crime lab, Carolien and if you have any questions, you can always turn to us," said Lindsay friendly.**

"**And if you need a babysitter, you can always ask me," said Carolien.**

"**What time are you leaving tonight?" asked Carolien.**

"**About half past seven, I'll ring your bell when Iam ready to go," said Lindsay.**

"**I'll see you tonight," said Carolien and Lindsay nodded and closed the door.**

"**And this is your appartment," said Jo and Carolien put the key in the lock and opened the door and walked inside.**

**The apartment had large windows and patio doors and the house was cozy and modern. But the best part was the large open kitchen with a cooking island in the middle.**

**Carolien loved to cook and she could imaging herself standing in the kitchen. She walked from the living room through a small hallway to a large bedroom, opposite was a study and a large bathroom with bath and shower.**

"**Do you like it?" asked Jo.**

"**Very beautiful and so spacious, I'm definitely going to feel right at home," said Carolien with a radiant smile.**

"**That's nice, the furniture are from Mac, he didn't need them anymore, now he has moved in with Christine. As you can see we already placed your laptop in you study, Mac bought you a new notebook and we also put your bag here as well. The television is a welcoming gift from everyone in the lab. This is your new phone number and here is your new cell phone, all our numbers are in there," said Jo.**

"**Thanks, Jo, for everything," said Carolien.**

"**I'll see you tonight. You can take a shower and put everything into place. Welcome to the New York Crime Lab, Carolien de Zwart," said Jo with a smile.**

"**Thanks, see you tonight," said Carolien. Jo went out of the apartment and she closed the door behind her.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Lindsay and Carolien stopped for Christine's restaurant and they got out. They went inside and Carolien saw that the rest was already there. Mac was the first to come towards them.**

"**Good evening, Lindsay. Hi, Carolien, nice to see you again. Do you like your apartment?" asked Mac.**

"**Very nice, espacially the kitchen. I had a very small kitchen in Amsterdam, I could not turn my ass. Now I have plenty of space to enjoy cooking. So the next dinner will be at my place," said Carolien.**

"**We hold you to that," said a tall slender man with roguish grin.**

"**Hi Carolien, I'm Detective Don Flack and this is my friend and colleague Jamie Lovato," Don said.**

"**Hi Don, hi Jamie," Carolien said.**

"**And I'm the coroner, Dr. Sid Hammerback," said Sid.**

"**Nice to meet you, Sid," said Jamie.**

"**And this is my husband, Danny Messer," said Lindsay.**

"**Hi Danny," said Carolien.**

"**And my name is Sheldon Hawkes and this is my friend Camille Jordanson," said Sheldon.**

"**My name is Adam Ross," Adam said.**

"**And I will be the last person who introduces herself to you. Hi, my name is Christine Whitney and I am Mac's fiancée. I finished the appetizer so let's all sit down, shall we?" asked Christine and everyone sat down.**

"**As a starter I made melon with ham, have a nice dinner," Christine said.**

**Everyone was eating and Carolien looked around. At first sight they were all nice and friendly people and you could see that they were all good friends with each other.**

**Lindsay noticed something else, Mac continued to stare at the belly of Christine and occasionally he put his hand on her belly. No one else seemed to notice but Lindsay wanted to make sure.**

"**Mac, where did you go today?" asked Lindsay.**

"**Oh just here and there," replied Mac lightly.**

"**So there's nothing you want to throw in the group?" asked Lindsay and Mac stared at her for a moment.**

"**No, no, why do you ask?" asked Mac.**

"**You keep staring at Christine's belly and you rub it from time to time, nobody else would notice but I do. Danny does that all the time since he knows i am pregnant again," said Lindsay and Mac stared at her and a grin appeared on his face.**

"**Can I tell them? Oh, come on Mac, they will find out one way or another," Christine asked and Mac shook his head laughing.**

"**Okay, okay," Mac gave in.**

"**We drove to the hospital this morning, Mac was startled of course and he asked me if I was sick," Christine said.**

"**And she answered and I quote. I am sick but not really sick, it's more like sickness in the morning. It never occured to me what Christine meant by morning sickness and you all know I am normally very perceptive," Mac said.**

"**I lie in the treatment room a little later and an ultrasound is made. At one point Mac sees the haert beating," Christine said.**

"**So I tell Christine that I always have known she had a little heart," Mac said and everyone laughed.**

"**So I said to Mac, sweetie that's not my heart," Christine said.**

"**It took at least fifteen minutes before I realized I was looking at the heartbeat of our baby," Mac said and there was surprise in his voice.**

"**That's cool, Mac, really cool. How do you feel about it?" aksed Danny.**

"**I'm very happy but also scared. But particularly happy, I am going to be a father," Mac said.**

"**But I find it a bit stupid," Don said.**

"**Don't you call Mac stupid when you know you're much worse than he is," cried Jamie and Don warned her.**

"**You should keep your mouth shut," said Don.**

"**I am going to break my promise because you called Mac a moron. You're really a moron and you know that," Jamie said and Don chuckled.**

"**Okay, you can tell them how incredibly stupid I was," Don said laughing.**

"**A week ago we went to the hospital for an ultrasound. Don knows for about a month now that I'm pregnant. Anyway, I told Don that he had to sit down, but he replied that he was a tough guy and nothing would get him down," said Jamie.**

"**At some point I see the heartbeat and the last thing I know and remember is that Jamie looked at me and said, look Don that's our baby," Don said.**

"**You know why he can't remember? Because all of the sudden he turns pale and he clapped backwards and slammed his head against the wall. He was lying unconscious on the floor for half an hour. So know you all know what I already knew. Don is the biggest fool of us all," Jamie said.**

**Mac stood up and ran to Don.**

"**Where is it?" asked Mac laughing.**

"**Right here, in the middle on the back of my head," said Don and he pointed the place to Mac.**

"**That is the biggest egg I've ever seen, no wonder you missed a few days last week," Mac said.**

"**I was home in bed with a heavy concussion, this was not one of my most briljant moments," said Don.**

**Don stood up and he hit his arms around Mac and Mac did the same.**

"**Congrats, Mac and you too Christine," Don said.**

"**Congrats to the both of you as well," Mac said.**

"**Do you eat here often?" The question of Carolien came suddenly and everyone stared at her.**

"**Once a week, why?" asked Don and he frowned.**

"**Then I guess I won't eat the rest of my dinner, if you don't mind," said Carolien.**

"**My kitchen is," began Christine somewhat piqued.**

"**I have no doubt your restaurant is good. But I don't want to get pregnant yet and since you all are, well I think I skip dinner," said Carolien.**

**Everyone stared at her and then they all burst out into laughter.**

"**You learn very quickly, Carolien," Christine laughed.**

"**But in this case, good example will be followed," Sheldon said with a grin.**

"**You see, Danny gave the good example to Don who passed the example to Mac, so it comes down to one conclusion," Adam grinned.**

"**Danny is guilty," laughed Don.**

"**I can pass my example onto Sheldon if you want me to, Camille," Mac said with a wink.**

"**Uh never mind, Mac. We prefer to wait a few more years," Sheldon said.**

"**There are advantages to it," Sid suddenly said.**

"**What kind of benefits?" wondered Jamie.**

"**Well you only have to hold one baby shower, you just make it an extra big party. And the women can complain to each other about the insensitivity of men," Sid said.**

"**You're on to something, Sid. You should know Danny forced me to eat three big mac menus this week," said Lindsay and she looked very sad.**

"**Hold on, lady, you're not going to blame me for this. She woke me up at one o'clock because she wanted a big mac and I had to get them for her. So I went to the Mac Donalds. You know what she said when I got back? Oh, Danny, you're so kind, but I'm not hungry anymore," Danny said and again there was laughter all around.**

"**Lucy thinks it is fantastic her mom is pregnant. Lindsay woke up in the middle of the night a few weeks ago and she was craving for ice cream. Lucy heard her rummaging in the kitchen so she got out of bed to have a peak," Danny said with a big grin.**

"**Mom, you can't eat ice cream anymore, you already brushed your teeth. So I said she was allowed to eat ice cream if she didn't tell Danny," Lindsay said.**

"**Of course daddy was awake, so I joined them," Danny said.**

"**She was happy then. This morning she was pissed off," Lindsay said.**

"**Why?" asked Carolien curious.**

"**Lucy looked at the picture of the last ultrasound and she wondered why the new baby had an extra finger. So I told her that the new baby was going to be a boy. However Lucy wants a little sister so she asked us to cut the extra finger off. We told her that wasn't possible and then our sweet daughter got very angry," Danny said with a laugh.**

"**Oh, she'll get used to the idea," Lindsay said.**

"**I never have children," Adam said.**

"**Why not?" asked Carolien.**

"**My grandfather hit my father and he hit me and I don't want to harm my children," said Adam.**

"**That's total crap, oh sorry. They brought that up at the trial of the man who raped my grandmother. His grandfather and father raped their women so it was genetically determined he was going to be a rapist too. Look Adam, a lot is genetically determined but that doesn't mean anything. I don't know you that long but you seem to me a very warm, friendly and honest man, you would never hurt your children, you don't have that in you," said Carolien.**

**Adan blushed briefly.**

"**Uh, thank you," Adam said.**

"**That's what we try to tell him for years, Carolien. Did you also reacted so strongly to that statement in court?" Jo asked with a twinkle in her eyes.**

"**I jumped up and called out that I thought it was bullshit, the judge gave me a warning and told me to sit back down. I ran out of the courtroom and slammed the door so hard that a lamp fell from the ceiling just next to the suspect. Oh, oh," said Carolien.**

**They talked on for a few hours and then everyone said goodbye. Carolien, Danny and Lindsay walked to their car and drove home. They went upstairs and stood still in front of their apartments.**

"**Thanks, I really enjoyed myself," said Carolien.**

"**We also enjoyed the dinner. I know you have to start the day after tomorrow. But do you want to come with us so you can take a look? We leave around 8 a.m, we take Lucy to school and then we go on to the lab," said Danny.**

"**Oh I love to come with. I make sure I'm ready around eight o'clock," said Carolien.**

"**See you tomorrow, sleep well," said Lindsay.**

"**You too," said Carolien.**

**Carolien went into her apartment and noticed how tired she was. She walked to the bedroom and undressed. She set the alarm for 7 a.m the next morning and crawled into bed and Carolien fell fast asleep.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ben Bruin got off the plane and walked through customs. He packed his bags on the treadmill and he went out. Carolien had left for New York a few months ago and he missed her. He had told her about it in several emails and text messages, but she had not written back or responded to his messages in over a week. Therefore, he decided to go to New York. Carolien and he belonged together, and he was going to convince her. Of course she would be surprised at first, but he was convinced she would fly him around the neck and kissing him wildly soon after she saw him. He walked whistling to the car dealer and he collected the car he had rented. He had already arranged accommodation for himself. A couple who had been friends of his parents were on a trip around the world and he was allowed to stay in their home. Ben drove from the airport to the house and on the way over there was nothing else on his mind but Carolien. He thought of her every minute of the day and in his mind they were always holding on to each other and making love. Ben drove to the house and he parked the car in the driveway and went inside. On the table there was a letter from Sandra Foster, the owner. She asked him if he wanted to water her plants and tend to the garden. That was not going to be a problem, Ben thought and he made a tour through the house and the backyard with Jacuzzi and Turkish bath. Ben felt himself a king, and he whistled softly. Upstairs there was a large bathroom and two bedrooms. Below the house there was a large wine cellar and a shelter which you could hide in if there would be a hurricane, tornado or earthquake. In the shelter there was a bed, sink and a fridge. In case of an emergency you could easily get by for a few days. Ben closed the door behind him, and he picked up a nice bottle of Chardonnay and took the bottle to the living room, where he poured himself a glass. After he drank the wine, he walked upstairs to arrange the clothes from his bags in the closets and he took a shower. He put on clean clothes and checked himself out in the mirror. He looked tiptop and that was how Carolien would feel about him when she laid his eyes on him. He sprayed some cologne on himself, so he would smell nice and then he went back down and he left the house and got back into the car. He drove to the crime lab and he parked his car in the garage. He was tapping with his fingers on the steering wheel while he was waiting for Carolien to leave the building.

After he waited for quite some time there was a group of people walking outside, Ben recognized Mac Taylor the head of the lab almost immediately, the rest were his colleagues. Ben looked intently at the door and his heart jumped when he saw Carolien. She looked as beautiful as ever, and he had his hand on the doorknob to open the door. A man who looked like a wimp, came after Carolien and the hand of the man slid around the waist of Carolien. Carolien turned to him and laughed.

"I think you will be dumped, loser," Ben heard a voice in his head.

Ben tried to ignore the voice, but there were more and more. His hands clutched the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. He felt enormous anger and frustration occur to him.

"How could she? She's yours, you have to teach her a lesson, have to hurt her, so she begs you to stop, "said yet another voice, one of its most aggressive voices. Ben hit the steering wheel with a furious gesture.

"You also have to punish him, he can't just steal your girl, he must pay, pick them both up, show them what you're worth," another voice sounded again.

"He can't, dude, he is incapable someone to hurt, he's a wimp." There were more and more voices and with every one that came, Ben felt more hurt and angry.

He had been on medication to control those voices but he stopped taking them. And now he felt like him again, strong and in control and he was going to prove to them all that he was able to hurt someone. He was going to teach Carolien and that nerd of hers a lesson they would never forget and he would thereby go to extremes. But he had to practice on a man and woman, he had to make sure he was able to hurt people. It didn´t matter who they were, but he needed to do it fast. Ben already had the perfect hiding place, the shelter under the house, No sound was coming through, so his victims could scream and cry all they want, no one would ever be able to her them.

And when was done with his subjects he would go after Carolien and the nerd. He didn't deserve to be treated this way. He loved Carolien and she loved him. He didn't understand why Carolien would hurt him this way, but he was going to convince her, he was the only one who was good enough for her.

"And if you can´t convince her, you have to kill them," said the aggressive voice and Ben nodded.

Ben drove back to the house and he parked the car and went inside. He poured himself another glass of wine, and he sat down on the couch.  
"What are you going to do wimp?" said the harsh voice in his head.  
Ben growled in anger and shouted to the other voices that they should keep their mouths shut for a while. He had to think about his next step. The best way to find a woman was on a dating site. And he could pick up a man in a gay bar. But who was he going after first the man or the woman? He had a lot of experience with women, who found him quickly charming and endearing. However, he had never been with a man. It was smarter to choose a male victim first because he had no experience with them. Ben looked at his laptop and searched google for gay bars in New York, he soon found a few and decided to go there to see if he could find a suitable victim.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

"I'd like to propose a toast, to Adam and Carolien. Thanks to your teamwork we were able to put a robber and killer behind bars. Excellent work, both," said Mac.

"To Adam and Carolien," said the others.

Adam and Carolien looked at each other confused and they both blushed. They didn't like being in the spotlights.

"Thank you, but we all worked hard on this case," was Carolien's reply.

"Yes, but you both found the final piece of evidence that linked the suspect to the case," Don said.

"Hey, Mac, have you and Christine found a place where you will keep the reception?" said Adam, who wanted to change the subject quickly Christine and Mac looked at each other and a short silence fell.

"Uh, we don't agree with each other," Christine hesitantly said.

"Oh, oh, something is brewing in the Taylor's house," Don said with a grin. "Actually, I have found the perfect location," said Mac and Christine looked at him.

"Oh, you have? Where?" Christine asked.

"There is only one place in New York where I want to hold the reception, and that's here," Mac said.

"Here, you mean in my restaurant?" Christine asked.

"This place means a lot to both of us, it's the perfect place, Chrissie. We hire a catering that provides snacks and drinks. What do think?" Mac asked.

"Stupid. I don't mean that your idea is stupid. Why didn't I think of it myself?" Christine said, and she smiled.

"Bummer," responded Don and Mac and Christine looked at him.

"Oh, sorry, Jamie and I had the same idea, we'd like to keep our reception at your restaurant," Don said, and he chuckled.

"That's no problem, your wedding is four months later than ours," Christine said.

"Really?" Jamie asked, Christine shook her head.

"Of course we will hire someone for the catering. We want you at the party without having to work in the kitchen," Don said.

"I will write the data in the calendar," Christine said.

After dinner, Adam drove Carolien to her apartment. He walked her up.

"Sorry, I didn't know that Mac would put us in the spotlight," Adam said.

"Oh that doesn't matter. I liked working with you, Adam," said Carolien and Adam smiled.

"Really? I also liked it," Adam said. He leaned over to Carolien and tried to kiss her, but it was all a bit awkward, and their heads bumped.

Adam blushed with shame, and he wanted to walk passed Carolien but she stopped him. Carolien pulled Adam closer to her and she gently touched his lips. What followed was a brief but very intense kiss and they parted.

"I really like you, Adam," said Carolien and her eyes sparkled.

"You don't think I'm too clumsy?" said Adam and Carolien chuckled.

"I'd rather have someone who is a bit clumsy, than someone who thinks everything is about him," said Carolien.

"I want to ask you something for a long time, but I didn't dare," said Adam. "Ask," said Carolien.

"Do you want have dinner with me? Just you and me?" Adam asked.

"I'd love too, Adam," said Carolien.

"Really?" asked Adam and Carolien nodded.

"Do you have plans for Saturday night?" Adam asked.

"No, you may choose the restaurant, come and get me at seven o'clock," said Carolien.

Adam leaned forward and kissed Carolien again. This time the kiss was longer and more passionate. Adam and Carolien put their arms around each other and they both enjoyed the kiss. They broke off the kiss as they both were out of breath and looked at each other lovingly.

"Sleep well, Carolien and sweet dreams," Adam said and he touched her face. "Sleep well, Adam and I'll see you tomorrow," said Carolien.

Adam turned and ran downstairs. Carolien went to the door of Danny and Lindsay.

"I know that you stand behind the door. Sleep tight!" said Carolien.

It stayed quiet for a few seconds.

"Sleep well, Carolien," heard Carolien, Danny and Lindsay say and then she heard them chuckle. Carolien went in and she leaned against the door and she sighed deeply.


End file.
